Gaseous electric discharge device



'sept.27, 1932. C ,P'l'my 1,879,472

CAsEoUs ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE original File@ April 24, 1930 mvENIoR b pow/fu ATTORNEY www - Number 387,057, filed liti Patented Sept.4 1932 UNITED l s'ra'ri-:s

PATENT; OFFICE,

imnCELLO HEANI, or nnariimwinnnnsnonmennmnv. nssIGNoE. l'ro GENERAL ELECTaIC Comm.; CORPORATION or NEW You:

GAsEOUs EnECraIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Application led April .24, 1930, Serial No. 447,015, and hi Germany )lay 27, 1829. Renewed January 23,

The present invention relates to aseous t electric discharge devicesuseful in t e arts generally and particularly as electric lam It is the object of this invention to provide an electric discharge uiding tube forgaseous electric discharge evices similar to those described in cO-pendin applica-tions, Serialu ust 19, 1929bein'g the invention of Marce lo Pirani, Hans Ewest and. Alfred- Ruttenauer; 'Serial Num-` ber 407',525','fi1ed` November 15, 1929- and Serial Number 378,741filed `Julv 15, 1929. being the inventions O f Marcello P irani. In these applications the discharge guiding tube has a multiplicity of perforations or openings 'oven its entire length; the guide tube of the present invention has but one opening in the form of a lon itudinal slit runnin almost the full lengt of the uide tube.. uch a guide tube makes possi le the Object of using even higher current densities in the discharge device than are racticalin the devices disclosed in aforesai co-pending applications while the luminous or positive column of the discharge is still visible. A. further object of the invention is to provide a guide tube which concentrates the light emitted by the gaseousdischarge thus pro-vducing a greater light density. Further objects and advantages attaching to the device andato its use and operation wi l be apparent from the following particular description and from the claims.

In the drawing accompanying and .forming art of this specification an embodiment of t e invention is shown for purposes of illustration in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the d ischarge device shown partly in section with the new and novel discharge guidin tube and auxiliary apparatus shown wholy in sec`l tion.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the device shown in Fig. 1 along the line 2-2 of'Fig. 1.

Like numbers denote like parts in bothV views of the device. v

Container 1 may be made of ordinary glass or a glass permeable to ultra-violet radiations. it each end of the container 1 are fused stems 3 having current leads 2 sealed therein.

body 8, made of electron emitting" '.niaterialsuch as tungsten or sintered oxides, ia-attached to support 5 connected to lead 3 as shown.' Said container 1 has a gaseous content of rare gases, common gases, vapors or mixtures of these.V -Tube 16 guides the gaseous discharge' betweenve-lectrodes 8, 8 and is electrically conducting, such as tungsten or carbon. Slit 4() running the greater part of `the length of guide tube 16 being only a narrow'opening concentrates the light emitted ibyhe stenta? cani threforebe used for many purposes re- -quiring 'a concentrated light source, for exgaseous discharge thus producing a ight density. The discharge device ample, iijconnection with a spectrometer. As the aseous discharge responds instantly to any c ange or fluctuation in the current or 'potential the discharge device can be used 4 made of a difiicultlyfus'ible material which is with great advantage as asignal device or as a light source for beacons. 16 is axiall made of diilicultly tungsten or molybdenu Between the outer cylindrical walls of sa ner cylindrical walls of container 1 are 1ocated spring rings 42 and ring 43 made of insulation materia-l such as porcelain. Said spring rings l42 are attached to said. cases 41 and press against the walls of container las shown in Fig. 2 to support and maintain said cases-4l and guide tube 16 in position. Said porcelain rings 43 are attached to cases 41 and closely approach the Walls of container 1 to prevent t walls of cases 41 and container 1.

While I have shown, described and have pointed out in the annexed claims certain new and novel features of the device and its -use and operation it will be understood that various substitutions, ,modifications and changes in the form and details of the device may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. For example, cases 41 may be made ofvinsulation material in which case special rings 43 can be omitted,'or the guide tube can be attached to any of the electrode Said guide tube mounted between two casesil usible metal such as v d cases 41 and the ine discharge going between the chambers shown in oo-pending application or"` 109 to disk shape supporting bodies and the tube can be opera-ted to produce varying types of discharges, such as a positive column glow or a positive column aro discharge as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, to meet the needs of a particular service of the tube.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an electric discharge device a conm tainer, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous filling therein, and a tubular body of conducting material surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes, said tubular ody having a longitudinal opening therein. u 2. In an electric discharge device a container, electrodes sealed therein, a' gaseous filling therein, and a tubular body of conducting material surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes, said tubular ody having a longitudinal openin therein, and supporting members for sai tubular body dividing the discharge device into sections.

3.'In an electric discharge device, a con- 25 tainer, electrodes sealed therein, a aseous filling therein, a tubular body of con ucting material surroundin the discharge path between said electro es, said tubular body having a longitudinal opening thereon, and exao tension bodies mounted on the ends of and supporting said tubular body. 4. In an electric discharge device a container, electrodes sealed therein, a aseous filling therein, a tubular body of con ucting '35 material surrounding the discharge path between said electrodes, said tubular body having a longitudinal opening therein, and cylindrical bodies having a spring ring pressing against the walls ofthe container adapted to 40 support said cylindrical bodies, and a ring of insulation material between the outer walls. ofthe cylindrical. bodies and the inner cylino drical walls of said container, said cylindrical bodies attachedvto opposite ends of the tubular body and supportin same.

--In witness whereof I ave hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April 1930. v

.- MARCELLO PIRANI.

-cmumc'm oincommer'10N.` A

mem No, 1,879,412.. y swim: zr, 1.932.

' mismo Primm.' l'

It is hereby certified that error ppears in ,tire'printd spcifi-tion of the above numbere'dpatent requiringA correction os follows': Plg'ri; li'n'ef 29, cillin" 3, for *"thereon", read "theroii'` and that the saidIxttenlfitntooibdrad with this correction therein that the' mevmay conform to th record f caja'e" in the Patent Office; Y l

Signed and sealed this 28th day of Much, A. D. 1933.

(Seal) Acting Patents?- 

